McConnell Air Force Base slated to receive millions of dollars for upgrades

WICHITA, Kansas — McConnell Air Force Base is slated to receive more than two-hundred-million dollars for upgrades to accommodate new tankers that were awarded to the base last month.

The funding it part of the 2014 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.

The amount is $27 million dollars more than what had been estimated in May when the decision was announced that McConnell Air Force Base would be the main facility for the KC-46A tankers.

“The passage of this appropriations bill out of committee is a step forward in McConnell Air Force Base’s path toward becoming the home of the new KC-46A tankers,” Sen. Jerry Moran (R) Kansas, said. “This investment will prepare McConnell for the arrival of the tankers in 2016. It is great news for our state and the city of Wichita, which is and will remain the air capital of the world.”

“The men and women of McConnell, the premier tanker facility in the world, continue to do an amazing job serving our nation and warfighters across the globe. As a veteran and co-chairman of the Air Mobility Caucus, I have a deep appreciation of the sacrifice our Airmen and their families make every day for the freedoms we hold dear,” Rep. Mike Pompeo (R) 3rd District, Kansassaid. “The new KC-46A tanker mission, which calls for this new military construction, ensures a longstanding commitment from the Air Force for years to come. Wichita, Derby, and the entire south-central Kansas community are excited and proud of the continued success of McConnell Air Force Base.”